Process of and apparatus for generating gas



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. H. HARRIS; PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

Patented B10124, 1891.

(No Model.)

un/Hume (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

y W. H. HARRIS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. No. 463,965. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. H. HARRIS. PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS. No. 463,965. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

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NrTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM II. II ARRIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,965, dated November 24, 1891.

Application filed April 30, 1891- Serial No. 391,111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HARRIS, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Generating Gas, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is,first, to generate gas from bituminous coal and steam and air supplied thereto to promote combustion, the products of which are suitably mixed and form a fuel-gas or low-illuminating gas.

Another object of my invention is to enrich said gas to any desired degree suitable for illuminating purposes by adding to the fuel-gas hydrocarbomwhich is also converted into gas in the process.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for carrying on said process in the best manner, all of which will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved generator. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 00 :0, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on line 2 y, Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a section representing the preferred form of construction.

'A represents the base of the retort or generator.

B represents the structure forming the regenerating-chamber.

0 represents the generator-hearth, which is made of fire-brick or other similar refractory substance.

1 represents the generating-chamber. The coal is preferably fed in at the top of this chamber, which is kept gas-tight by the following instrumentalities:

2 represents a bell,which is suspended upon a chain 3 over the drum 1, which is operated by means of the hand-wheel 5 (see Fig. 1) to lower the bell sufficientlyto allow coal to be fed in the ordinary manner.

6 represents a water-chilled collar on the crown-seat 7. I prefer to employ no gratebars, but to remove ashes through a chute S, which is closed by the ordinary sealed door. The air for promoting combustion is supplied through a series of tuyeres D by means of a pump or fan. In order to prevent the bridging of the mass of fuel and the formation of clinkers,I mingle with this air a small quantity of steam, which is supplied by means of a series of steam-pipes E, having a connection F with each of said tuyeres.

G represents valves for regulating the supply of steam.

H represents valves for regulating the supply of air.

Iil' represents an air-blow-off valve.

The generator is kept supplied with a sufficient body of coal and a requisite quantity tom portion of the charge, and the upper portion is maintained at a glowing heat. The charge of coal preferably reaches to about the point 10, but a small distance below the steam-pipe 11, preferably from three to four inches. By reason of this large body of coal and a small body of incandescence the incandescent gases generated are caused to pass through the heated body of coal above, so as to be enriched by the carbon in the body of the charge and by the hydrogen of the steam which is introduced at the base with air to form the blast. Only a suificient quantity of steam should be introduced through the tuyeres to prevent clinkering and not enough to deaden or slacken the combustion.

11 represents a steam-pipe for supplying additional quantity of hydrogen and oxygen. This steam is superheated by passing through a coil of pipe 12, which surrounds the upper end of the generating-chamber.

13 represents a valve forregulatingthe quantity of superheated steam admitted above the charge of coal. The steam thus admitted strikes the bricks, but does not strike the coal or coke at the top of the charge, and does not slacken the combustion or generation of gases to nearly so greata degree as when it strikes the glowing coal or coke, because the charge of coal is not incrusted and the bricks retain a greater amount of heat than the same area of coke, and because the glowing mass continues to give off its heat to the superheated steam introduced above the mass and to the walls of the generator. These gases are carried off by the uptake-flue 14. In order to thoroughly mix these gases and convert them into a fixed form, it is necessary that they be of air to maintain incandescence of the bot- 7 retained under a high heat fora considerable length of time and subjected to frictional resistance, which will cause a thorough ming ling of the currents while in a heated condition,commonlycallec regenerating. Forthis purpose I provide a continuous regeneratingchamber .l, preferably of the serpentine form, as shown in Fig. 2, filled with a series of balls I, which are composed of refractory material capable of resisting a long continuous high heat, such as silicate of alumina or material from which fire-brick is made. I have found by experience that when the regenerative agents are formed of brick or other plainfaced objects there is a much greater tendency for the deposition of carbon than when the substances are made round, so as to not form pockets, but, curvilinear fines or passages. In order to present as much heatingsurface as possible, these balls I are made round and of different sizes, as shown; but they may all be of the same size. The gas and products of combustion are caused to pass through these series of serpentine chambers and to discharge through the flue L into a condenser for cooling, whence the gases are taken and washed and purified in the usual manner.

If it is desired to form an illuminating-gas, it is necessary to enrich the gas generated in the generating-chamber 1, and this is accomplished, preferably, by introducing crude oil or other hydrocarbon through pipe N into the regenerating-chamber, so that any desired degree of richness of illuminating-gas may be obtained.

M represents a graduated oil-feed.

0 represents a valve for regulating the flow into the regenerating-chamber.

P represents a supply-pipe, which connects with the tank or pump.

0' represents a pipe conveying steam from the coil 12, which heats the hydrocarbon and assists in forcing it into the generating-chamber.

Q represents ablow-off pipe, which connects with the water-chamber CL of the water-chilled collar 6.

1) represents a watersupply pipe, and c a water-escape for supplying said water-collar.

It is necessary in the starting up of this apparatus to raise the regenerating-chamber and the regenerative balls to ahigh degree of heat before the gas can be saved for consumption. At the initial starting there is a deposition of carbon in the regencrating-chamber which must be removed. I accomplish this by supplying air and converting said carbon into a gas by combustion. This I accomplish by means of air-supply pipes cl. (Shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4.) erepresents valves for opening and closing said tuyere-pipes. In Fig. 4: I have shown two of these air-supply pipes, one tapping into the chamber or the passage f and the other into the chamber or passage g. In the alternate chambers I provide blowoif pipes 72., which are shown in dotted lines,

Fig. 4, provided with regulating-valves i, so that when the valves 6 and i are open the air enters through the pipes (Z, passes through the regencrating-chamber, ignites the carbon, and the products of combustion escape through the blow-off pipes h. This operation of igniting and blowing 01f the carbon must be continued until the regencrating-chambers and balls are raised to a suflicient heat to prevent the accumulation of carbon deposits, so that the entire product of gas generated in the generator is also subject to contact with the mass of balls in the regenerating-charm bers, which causes a thorough reunion of these gases and a formation of fixed oxyhydrocarbon gases.

I have found that by maintaining a large mass of fuel in the generating-chamber, kept at a glowing heat, through which the gases produced by the incandescence are caused to pass and mingle with the gases generated from the mass of coal above the point of incandescence, and by the admission of steam above the glowing mass without addition of hydrocarbon a good fuel-gas can be formed, and by admitting hydrocarbon in the generating-chamber, which is united with the gases generated from the coal and steam, a good illuminating-gas is produced.

Mode of operation: Kindlin g is placed upon the hearth of the generator and ignited, the bell is lowered, and a small amount of coal fed in until there is a sufficient body, when more coal is added and the blast started. The bell is then raised to form a seal, and the air and blow-off pipes d and h are opened occasionally to force combustion in the regenerating-charnber, which is continued at intervals until the said regencrating-chamber is raised approximately toa white heat, when the plant is in condition for the generation of gas for storage.

I have shown pipe N for conveying hydrocarbon tapping the regenerating chamber, and I accomplish important results by supplying hydrocarbon at this point. The supp1y-pipe does not become unduly heated, and consequently the hydrocarbon is introduced in a liquid form. If said pipe should be placed so as to become unduly heated before tapping the regenerating-chamber, the hydrocarbon would be decomposed and carbon deposited in the end of the pipe, which would clog up the same; but by introducing the hydrocarbon in the manner herein shown no appreciable deposits of carbon are obtained in the pipe.

It will be observed that the regeneratingchamber has a pitch or lean forward from the point where the hydrocarbon is admitted, so that in case it is not all immediately volatilized it will pass down the regeneratingchamber and be mixed with the other gases as it is volatilized.

An important result is accomplished by the process herein described. All the heat produced by the incandescence of the fuel is utilized not only in the generation of gases but is also imparted to said gases, which in turn impart the same to the regeneratingchamber and its agents, so that a continuous process of generating gas from coal and superheated steam and regenerating the same is carried on, and all the volatile products of combustion are utilized by being converted into gas. The ordinarily non-volatile parts of the coal are rendered volatile by being raised to a point of incaudescence in the charge, and as a major portion of the steam enters to enrich the gas impinged against the heated wall in the generator above the body of the coal the fire is not slackeued, and consequently a much higher degree of heat is maintained within the generator than in other forms of generators hitherto employed, and the gases are passed into the regeneratingchamber at a higher degree of heat. lhe steam introduced above the charge being superheated enters with great velocity and as-- sists the draft without deadening or slackening the heat in the generator. Consequently the regenerating-chamber can be used continuously for fixing gas without the necessity of emplOyingtwo regenerating-chambers and using them alternately.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of a gas-generator, a series of tuyeres and steam and air supply pipes tapping the generator and discharging thereinto beneath the charge of coal, a coiled superheating steam-pipe surrounding the upper part of said generator and discharging therein above the body of ooal,a regenerator having a serpentine passage forming a series of chambers connected by curved ends or passages, air-supply pipes and blow-off pipes connected with the alternate chambers or passages of said regenerator, and a valved pipe for introducing hydrocarbon into the regenerator near the passage through which it communicates with the gas-generator, substantially as described.

2. A gas-generator consisting of a generating-chamber having a solid hearth, a series of air and steam supply pipes tapping the generator near the base of the charge, asteampipe coiled round the top of the generator and piercing the same above the body of coal in the generator, whereby the steam is impinged against the walls of the generator above the coal, and the fine 14 for conducting the products of combustion to a regeneratingchamber, substantially as specified.

3. A gas-generator composed substantially of the generating-chamber having the solid hearth, the series of air and steam supply pipes piercing the chamber at its base, a coil of superheating-steam pipes surrounding the top of the generating-chamber and piercing the same above the charge, the take-up flue 14, a continuous regenerating-chamber, and an oil-supply pipe piercing the walls of the regenerating-chamber, substantially as spec1 fied.

4. The process of generating gas in a single generator and fixing-chamber, which consists in subjecting a body of coal to a combined blast of air and steam and burning the same, raising the body of coal to a point of incandescence, continuing the blast of air and steam and intermittentlyintroducing coal and at the same time and continuously introducin g other steam just above the charge of coal, thereby thoroughly intermingling the gases and steam in the generator, and then fixing the combined gases by passing them through a fixing-chamber maintained in a highly-heated condition by these said heated products of combustion, which are converted into a fixed gas, whereby the products of combustion are continually passing in a single direction from the generator through the fixing-chamber in a continuous process, substantially as described.

. 5. In combination with a generator having air-supply pipes piercing its base portion for supporting combustion of soft coal, a steamsupply pipe injecting steam into the generator above the body of burning coal, a continuous regenerating-chamber filled with refractory material packed within the same, forming a series of gas-passages, and one or more air-supply pipes D and blow-off pipes H, tapping the regenerating-chamber, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VILLIAM H. HARRIS.

Witnesses: I Y

P. SIMMONS, C. W. MILES. 

